Running Back Kene Nwangwu Feels Prioritized by Cyclones

Alex Halsted

12/04/2015

Iowa State has made Frisco (TX) running back Kene Nwangwu a priority and stopped in for an in-home visit Thursday night. The speedy back gives the latest in this update.

Frisco (TX) running back Kene Nwangwu arrived back home in Texas from his Iowa State official visit less than one month ago with the Cyclones sitting atop his list that includes a handful of Power 5 offers.

Through a coaching change, that still holds true.

New Iowa State coach Matt Campbell called the 6-foot, speedy and elusive running back Tuesday night and running backs coach Lou Ayeni stopped in Texas on Thursday night for an in-home visit.

“I feel like I am a priority, I feel like I’m very wanted by them,” Nwangwu said. “I think he expressed that I was tough and that I was fast.”

Nwangwu, who holds offers from Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern and Kansas in addition to Iowa State, has been timed with a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash. The senior from Heritage High School in Frisco is also interested in running track in college.

While a decision is likely to come sometime after December, Nwangwu was able to get a better feel hearing from Ayeni on Thursday. He attempted to remain positive through the change, and that eventually paid off.

“I knew Coach Ayeni coached at Toledo so I assumed that since they coached at the same school they would want Coach Ayeni to stay,” Nwangwu said of the change. “I still feel like they really want me. The head coach called me, so I still feel like they still want me.”

As for the message from Ayeni?

“He told me that I was the running back that he was looking for,” Nwangwu said of what Ayeni has told him. “He told me that they’re taking one running back and that he really wants me to be that one running back.”

Nwangwu isn’t currently closing in on a decision, but one could be coming after the holidays. For now, the Cyclones are in good shape.

“I think that Iowa State is still at the top,” Nwangwu said. “I’m still trying to make a decision in January after December. I still feel like Iowa State is still at the top.”